Footsteps
by Aviala Ordali
Summary: Taking a step into someone's mind can unlock many things. Sometimes you don't always find what you thought you would. Or what you had hoped you would.
1. Zero

**NOTE:** _Inception_ was perfect and genius for us story tellers in that it did not expand as much as American audiences usually crave on the relationships between the members of Cobb's team (except Cobb and Mal with a slight bond forming between Ariadne and Cobb). This allows the world of fan writing to take things a step forward while nearly completely understanding the concept of the dream world and extraction (since the movie was explanation after explanation). Naturally, I don't advise you read this if you haven't seen the movie. I actually don't recommend reading this if you saw it once in a half-amazed daze at the anti-gravity fight scenes and complexity of the plot. I've now seen the movie twice and perhaps will see it once more before I end up posting this. For now all I wish to do is expand on Arthur and Ariadne's relationship while commenting on some of the witty fine tunings of the film.

* * *

Throbbing. Headache.

The first thoughts when Arthur stirred in the wrought-iron lawn chair he had passed out in. Flicking his eyes toward the silver brief case, the four zeros flashed red on the timer, the red blurring together in a pool of black. Pulling the small object from his pocket, he tossed the die on the work table before shoving it back in his pocket.

Loosening his tie he looked at his watch and turned as he heard Ariadne pull the IV from her wrist.

"I-I…I'm sorry…" she stuttered, casting her eyes to the ground, continuing to struggle with her words.

Arthur turned from her, planting his hands firmly on the long table, eyes scanning the papers in front of him.

"Just don't let it happen again, rookie," he spoke coldly, the words swimming under his eyes.

"I should go…It's been a long day…" she muttered as the lights of the Parisian sky began to fade.

"No…you said you had work to do. I have somewhere to be anyways," he vaguely stated before he was out the door, the tail of his suit jacket whipping her denim clad knees as he brushed past her.

Tugging at her neck scarf, Ariadne sighed and tossed the silk harshly onto the table, eyes hesitating as they flicked over the papers he had been looking at. They were merely print-outs of the flight information.

"What's got his knickers in a twist?" came the heavily accented tone of Eames from the workshop door, followed by the hard click of the dead bolt.

"Nothing…" she replied curtly to the jabs of her coworker, if you could call what this situation was "work".

She had never experienced anything like it. Sleeping to live. Living to sleep. Each which way you turned the words they all didn't even come close to what it was like to create something so amazing…

"What are you 'working' on, darling?" Eames interrupted her thoughts. Practicing sliding Browning's glasses on and off in a particular way he positioned himself on the edge of the table, looking out the window and away from her.

"I…We…were just working on the layout of the second level. I…things got out of hand," she told him quietly, shuffling the papers pointlessly in front of her.

"What, your subconscious gang up on him? He never could handle being beaten to a pulp," Eames chuckled, sliding the glasses into the front pocket of his button down.

She responded wordlessly, pulling a stool over to her loudly, the metal scraping on the concrete floor in a piercing shrill.

"No one likes to feel someone poking around in their mind, right?" she asked rhetorically, eyes heavy with fatigue. Tomorrow was the big day. The start of the journey. Maurice Fischer had passed only hours ago and they were flying to Sydney in the morning. Tomorrow changed everything.

"Well whatever it is you two have going on…cool it. Once the job is over you can sort it out," Eames told her quickly before sliding into his jacket.

"You staying here tonight?" he asked in a more soothing voice. Placing his keys on the table, he slid them to her hand, his warm body suddenly standing next to hers.

"Just lock up if you leave. I think Cobb's still in the back room," he told her with his signature smirk. "Cheer up buttercup," he added, mid-saunter as he strode out the wide double doors.

Ariadne sighed, sliding her arms downwards and placing her head on her own cold skin. She felt her eyes shut slowly and her mind float back into a recent dream. Back into a memory.

…

After running through the maze seamlessly one final time they had begun messing around. He was playing tricks on her, endless stairwells and topless buildings. All grey, white, black. Plain. The room she was currently in wouldn't stop spinning. The setting hardly looked like her plans anymore.

Suddenly they were in a dark ally. She started walking, then running toward the light till she reached the end. Nearly tipping into an endless, colorless sea, she caught herself, taking two steps back to lean against the guardrail that appeared out of thin air.

"Arthur…" she gasped, feeling his hands around her waist. "What the hell?"

"I thought you liked the beach," he responded, a quizzical look in his eye. He leaned forward, his lips suddenly near hers, their faces dangerously close.

She felt the salty water splash at her ankles and her heartbeat quicken. It almost sounded like footsteps. Thousands of footsteps running. Running towards them.

He turned as he heard them, whipping back and looking her deep in the eye. She moved away, backing towards the sea, simple concrete road rising up to catch her from the fall. She watched as her projections consumed him, grabbing at him. Arms on his arms. Fists colliding with his cheeks. Blood pouring from his nose and mouth.

"Stay away from me!" shouted a small familiar voice that made Ariadne turn to look behind her.

Suddenly her sister, a mere ten, stood, gun pointed at Arthur. She fired six rounds in his chest then one straight in the forehead. She giggled as the gun fell to the ground, running off into the ocean.

He fell back into the arms of the crowd before hitting the hard pavement, bones crunching with the impact.

She let out a sob as the projections were suddenly gone, as was Arthur's body. She glanced down at her watch, mind doing quick math to calculate how much time she had left-

…

She awoke suddenly to the sound of his die hitting the table and breathed a sigh of regret.

The red zeros flashed endlessly.


	2. Paradoxes

**NOTE: **I'm just going to blunder on through here till I hit a road block. Right now the film is fresh in my mind because I saw it twice in the span of two days and because I haven't really watched any other movies since. Hope whoever is reading this enjoys it and please let me know what you think.

* * *

She waited. Watching. Waiting. Waiting for him to wake up. The minute she saw his blue eyes flutter open, Ariadne fumbled with the book beside her, prying it open half-way through, burrowing her eyes into the text about hotel architecture.

Cobb smiled a small smile while he pulled the IV gently from his wrist and jotted down some notes in a small notebook. Sliding it into his pocket he set about putting away the machine.

"Thank you," he told her simply, never taking his eyes off the innards of the silver brief case.

"For what?" she asked, looking up from her book. She never was good at lying. Or hiding what was on her face. She tried to pretend she was merely reading while he dreamt. Minding her own business. But she wasn't. She needed Cobb's advice. But didn't know how to ask.

"Not joining me in there," he replied quietly, closing the case tightly and sitting at the edge of the lawn chair. "I see we're learning."

"I was just reading…I…" she started, fumbling with the book as it fell to the cold ground beside her she looked up, her eyes frantic.

"What happened today, Ariadne?" Cobb asked her softly. Arthur had left in a hurry, only murmuring a hushed goodbye and some excuses about meeting up with someone. He knew his old friend too well. And he hardly knew this girl at all.

She looked away, unable to look into those eyes. Those eyes that felt the pain she could feel. Because she had been there. Dreamt with him. Remembered with him. She still didn't know what it was like to be a lover. But she did know what it was like for Cobb to be one.

Only yesterday had she come to the harsh realization that there were things he was keeping from the rest of the team; even from Arthur. Now she knew why memories were hard to talk about.

"Arthur and I…well I attacked him," she started slowly, quietly, eyes still on the floor. "I don't know what happened. We were goofing off really. We had run through the maze and tested everything. Then I let him take control. I was the subject. And you know how Arthur is in there…he surprised me…" she stuttered, remembering his lips close to hers. His warm breath on her face, the salt splashing on her bare legs, her hair flying behind her.

Then she remembered the running projections. The fast footsteps. The running. The terror. The fear.

"Ariadne," Cobb said curtly, his harsh voice pushing her eyes open. "What happened? How did it end?"

"I…well my sister…shot him repeatedly. The look on his face…he hated me," she stopped abruptly. She realized tears were suddenly on her cheeks, droplets of water pooling on the silk around her neck.

The silence grew between them for what seemed like hours. Days. Months. Years. She gathered the courage and words in her mouth before speaking again. She knew he was waiting. Waiting. Watching her struggle with her words. Waiting for her to ask the base question.

"When did you and Mal start sharing dreams? When you came to Paris?" she asked him softly, playing with the ends of her scarf.

"I met her father long before I met her. We never were in class together, actually. She wasn't in the architecture program. She took classes here and there under Miles' colleagues but her passion was always art. She loved the history behind it," he told her in a strong voice, as if trying to hold all emotion behind a blockade.

"Miles first introduced me to the idea. Then I met Mal…and we started experimenting with the dream within a dream concept," he finished quietly, before adding, "Why do you ask?"

"I just didn't want…us…this…to end up like your relation…" she trailed off, realizing the harshness of her tongue. Her freckled cheeks flushed as she rose to her feet, suddenly wishing to escape the room that seemed to be closing in around her. She reached in her pocket for the bishop, feeling the familiar weight in her hand.

Cobb's eyes flashed dark as he heard her words. He knew what she meant. She didn't want to end up lost. So connected to a person that it was impossible to know what was reality and what was the dream. All that mattered was being together.

"Dom…" she started, stepping forward, reaching a pathetic hand out to his now turned back. His hand was deep in his pocket and she knew he was holding onto the small top in a tight grip. So tight that the bottom nearly pierced his skin.

"Once you share a dream with someone, it is never as it was before," he said coldly. He turned toward her, looking deep into her young eyes. "Don't lose yourself," he added simply before brushing past her in the same manner Arthur had earlier that evening.

Ariadne felt the tears well up in her eyes as she locked the door to the workroom, as she unlocked her apartment door, as she lay in her bed into the early hours of the next morning. Her eyes burned even after she closed them. The tears were still there, burrowing under her eyelids. Waiting. Waiting to escape.

Now she couldn't dream. She could only remember.


	3. Scar

**NOTE:** Thanks to everyone who is reviewing. Your comments really mean a lot. I'm glad you guys are enjoying reading as much as I am enjoying the rollercoaster that is writing this fic. I never expect anyone to read my stories, nonetheless actually like them. Onwards!

* * *

She awoke to the harsh daylight streaming into her studio. She had left the curtains drawn the night before, in a daze as she slowly removed her clothes, stumbled for a nightshirt and slid under her covers.

The brightness was soon joined by the hissing of the radiator and a swift knock at her door. It was only then that she was snapped out of the daze. Today was the day. The plan was pre-set. She and Arthur were to share a car to the airport.

Pulling herself from the bed she placed her bare feet gingerly on the cold ground, looking at the clock. He was early. Her hand flew to her bishop.

Creaking open the old door, her breath hitched with surprise at the sight of Eames' face.

"Beautiful," he smirked before brushing past her, making himself at home in an antique armchair. Checking his watch he looked up at the stunned face of the half-clothed young woman, "You best get on with your shower. Tea?"

She pointed limply at the cramped kitchenette in the corner of the spacious room before dragging herself into the bathroom.

Ariadne let the hot water cascade over her and scrubbed her face and gums raw in the steamy mirror. She towel dried her hair and slid into her thin robe, tying the knot tightly around her slim waist.

He was now on the edge of her bed reading the paper with that classic mischievous look on his face. He looked her up and down as he sipped his tea out of her favorite mug. He shouldn't be here.

"I know, I know…'Where's Arthur?'" he whined at her in his irresistible voice, the eyes of the forger sparkling in the morning light. She was not a morning person.

She remained silent, moving to her chest of drawers where her clothes were folded neatly on top of her suitcase. She didn't need to pack much as they were only going to be in Sydney for a day before they flew to Los Angeles.

"He woke me this morning. He's taking a cab with Cobb and will meet you at the gate," Eames continued, not taking his eyes off her as she retreated to the bathroom again to change. She took her time with the items of clothing, giving herself more time to process. She knew Arthur wouldn't talk to her about what had happened in the dream on the plane. Not in front of all those people. Now she had to spend over twenty hours next to him. Great.

"Lovers' quarrel?" he snipped quietly at the end of his comment.

Turning from her suitcase she looked him dead in the eye and stated, "We shared a dream together. I made some mistakes," she finished shortly.

"Magical," he quipped right on the tail of her words.

Tears rushed down her cheeks like rivers as she zipped her suitcase and searched for her boarding pass and wallet in her purse. Pushing her hair back into a low ponytail she tried to ignore the conceited British man on her bed. Tying a scarf around her neck she grabbed her jacket and gave him a final look.

"Sit," he commanded. She complied. "Have your cry but the minute we get in that lovely town car outside you lose these feelings. Whatever it is, we don't need this right now. I know at your age this is hard to understand but it's not worth it," he told her softly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She gulped back her tears, unsure why she was crying so much. Everything was new now. Sounds were quieter, colors duller, lights dimmer. Dreaming was sharp, bright, brilliant.

But Eames was right. She needed to focus. If she wasn't careful, she could bring her violent subconscious into Robert's dream and throw the whole job. The last thing they needed was her little sister on a shooting rampage three levels in.

She checked her pocket for her totem once more before stepping into the bathroom to blow her nose.

Eames' phone buzzed in his pocket and he stepped far from Ariadne and close to the window before answering. "Yes, I'm with her now. Tell Arthur to go straight there. We'll meet you there in fifteen," he spoke swiftly and softly into his mobile.

Ariadne emerged, face clean with a new air about her, "I'm ready."


	4. Tin Man

**NOTE:** Thank you guys so much for the overwhelming support on this story. I have never gotten this many hits or reviews on my work before and it is really motivating me to write on. I also am loving reading all the _Inception_ stories as they continue to pop up on the site as more and more people have the chance to see this fantastic film. Cheers!

* * *

There he was. Standing stone still in the swarm of chaos. Eyes cast down at his wrist, checking his watch to see where she was. Wondering if she was going to show after what had happened.

He looked as he always did. Hair slicked back. Tie firmly in place against the stark white button down accompanied with a vest and dark gray slacks. Hands folded in front of him hidden by his long coat.

Ariadne sucked in a deep breath and glared at Eames to her left before parting from his side to join Arthur in the waiting area near their gate. She kissed him on the cheek emptily, apologizing loudly for her tardiness and letting him take her small suitcase. They stood in silence as Eames gave a grin accompanied by a shaking of the head as he passed his two team members. He gave a flirtatious smile to the French woman checking tickets before boarding the plane.

Yusuf and Eames were to ride separately in first class while Ariadne and Arthur posed as a newlywed couple on their honeymoon in business class. Whether this was pre-conceived cruel joke planned by Cobb or just a maneuver to help them blend in, Ariadne didn't know. Saito and Cobb were already en route to Australia on a private jet because of security precautions Cobb had to take while traveling. He was kind of wanted by all international agencies for serious crimes.

Ariadne glanced down idly at the engagement ring Eames had presented her on the ride over. The sight of the ring made her reach into her pocket to feel for her totem, itching to test the constraints of reality.

"Now don't get all giggly or anything, this is a prop and Saito dropped a pretty penny on it so don't lose it or anything," he had told her, handing a velvet box to her. The typical girl inside her couldn't help but grin as she slid the ring onto the appropriate finger and shoved the box in her bag.

She noticed the simple gold band on Arthur's finger as he handed their boarding passes to the pretty young woman who gestured them down the ramp that led to the tarmac. Ariadne instinctively walked a few steps behind Arthur before he pulled his hand into hers, holding her in a tight, unfriendly grip. She walked up to speed with him before he let her climb the steps to the plane ahead of him.

She glanced at Eames as they passed through the front section of the aircraft who raised his glass to her. She rolled her eyes and quickly found their seats. The minute they were settled, Arthur dropped her hand without words and started to read something on his phone.

A whole aisle of space separated them from the others in their row which relieved Ariadne. She had never been a good flyer and the cramped spaces didn't make her feel any better. The whole layout of planes never made sense to her. Couldn't there be even a foot more of space to make the passengers more comfortable?

She excused herself to use the bathroom and stared at her face in the mirror for what felt like forever before heading back to her seat. When she sat back down she noticed the flight attendants had brought them champagne in tall, slender flutes to salute their marriage. To keep up appearances the two were forced to toast and drink together. The young man across the aisle from her smiled and congratulated her warmly in French. He had a kind face and Ariadne longed to strike up a conversation with him.

Her thoughts were swirling as the crew prepared for takeoff and shut the door to the plane. They were reviewing safety precautions in a multitude of languages but her mind was elsewhere. Arthur's attention was fixed out the window, his body squared forward but his face completely turned away from her. She didn't know what to say to him. How to begin. How to explain. How to repair.

"You sure you don't want to Yusuf to take your spot in business?" Eames had asked her one last time as they were passing through security.

"I'll be fine. I don't need you to babysit me," she told him with a small smile. She was going to proceed with the plan as if everything was as it had been. She wasn't going to let Cobb down.

The plane began to taxi and she gripped the armrest till her knuckles turned white. As the plane rose in the air Ariadne felt her stomach react negatively before she felt something, someone on her hand.

Looking over she saw Arthur's hand resting gently on hers. At first she thought it was a mistake till her eyes met his. For a flash of a second, one single moment, she saw him in those eyes before he put the stone wall back up. They were sailing above the land now, through the clouds. His hand was suddenly gone.

"You should get some rest." His voice shocked her out of her mind. Suddenly, she felt her eyes droop, her head bob and finally rest on the seat back, her hand slipping off her armrest and onto Arthur's.

He looked at the hand. He didn't move this time.


	5. The Uncomfortable Truth

**NOTE:** I can't believe I'm already writing the fifth chapter of this story. Thank you guys for your critiques and to those who are reading and reviewing my other stories as well as this one. I'm glad you all think Eames is spot on; he is quite the character and fun to write about (I'll make sure he's involved the whole journey). Now back to that plane ride…

* * *

Ariadne reached a hand heavily to her forehead as she slowly shifted in the cramped seat. Her hair was matted to the back of her neck and sides of her face. There was a blanket tucked neatly around her body and the settled cool air in the cabin seemed fitting to the night sky out the window. Her head felt fuzzy and her eyes dry as she looked over at Arthur who was reading a book.

"Did…Did you drug me?" she asked hazily, taking a sip out of his water glass without asking. The last thing she remembered was drinking the champagne and the quiet chatter of her fellow passengers. Ten hours later everyone around her was either sleeping or watching the in-flight movie on the seat backs. The feet of the flight attendants just kissed carpeted aisles as they made their way up and down, whispering to the patrons with fatigue-less smiles plastered on their faces.

"You needed your rest," he told her without closing his reading materials, "And I knew you wouldn't listen to me."

Ariadne sighed and adjusted the blanket. She smiled at the thought of him taking the time to assure her comfort, even as she slept. She tried to think of what she was dreaming before she awoke but couldn't grasp onto the images. She was alone…in the darkness. There was distant music and sounds but nothing else. Just her.

She shook herself out of it and turned to Arthur, "So you're talking to me now?" she asked him in a coy tone. She was going to pry this conversation out of him if she had to.

He looked at her and felt a smile tug at his lips; he reached out, lightly touching her hand, "I just needed some time, Ariadne." Pulling his hand away he shoved his book in the pocket on the seat back and turned his body to face her.

"I'm sorry for what happened…I got nervous and my subconscious…well I've learned you can't exactly control it…" she told him quietly, trying not to wake the sleeping man in their vicinity.

"I know…and I shouldn't have left angry like that. We had work to do. We still have much left to do before this is all over," he told her, looking down at the wedding band on his hand.

She tried to look him in the eye but he wouldn't bring his eyes to meet hers. Hesitantly she reached out to his strong jaw, brushing her thumb against his cheek, letting his face rest in her small hand.

Her cool hand on his cheek made him shudder but he forced his body to remain motionless. He had loosened his tie hours earlier and his slicked hair was now tussled from restless sleep. While she slept he tried to do the same but his eyes flicked open at every sound. He couldn't bring himself to take one of the pills in his pocket. His mind had swirled for hours as he watched her sleep deeply. So still and quiet.

"It wasn't me…I didn't try to hurt you…" she told him just above a whisper.

Finally he pulled his eyes up to meet hers. They were no longer soft and kind. They now held a darkness. Something uncomfortable for Ariadne to look at. The truth.

"But it was you," he told her simply. She caught the glimmer of tear in his eye as he spoke before he blinked it away. Ariadne quickly pulled her hand into her lap, folding her hands tightly. The sparkle on her ring finger caught her eye unexpectedly and made her jerk.

She wanted to tell him she was afraid. Afraid that they would end up like Cobb and Mal. That their reality would become the only important thing. That she would get lost. That he would get lost.

She wanted to tell him she didn't want to be afraid. That she wanted to kiss him when he leaned in. That she liked her hand in his, the unexpected brush of skin while handing each other a file or a tool in the workshop. That she liked waking up next to him even when she liked the time they spent dreaming together better.

But Arthur had already dismissed the conversation. Her body was still turned towards his when she realized he had blocked her out again. Deep down she knew it had been her that had screamed and reacted so violently when all he had showed was the tiniest display of romance. She had been the one who had turned from him and now he was treating her the same way.

Before she could exhale again she heard the footsteps on the aisle stop near her and felt a presence towering over her.

"Darling, a word?" came an unforgettable voice. Ariadne moved to stand up before she saw the curt shake of Eames' head and the tilt of his chin towards Arthur. She shifted her legs to the left so he could join Eames in the aisle and they continued to the rear of plane. She twisted in her seat to watch the pair. Arthur tightened his tie authoritatively as he spoke to Eames.

Sighing, she faced front again, pulling Arthur's book from the pocket to check the title. She smiled as she recognized the novel as one she had recommended to him only weeks ago. She quickly replaced the book and found her notebook and pen in her bag. As soon as the ink touched the white, a cathedral emerged, small scale people scattered around the gardens, large clouds in the sky, tall trees sprouting from the ground. Before she knew it she could see the scene before her. She could feel the buzz in the air. If she just closed her eyes and forced her body to relax she could go there. But her mind and body didn't comply.

"Dom wanted to make sure you brought the thing…" Eames muttered to Arthur, his eyes following the flight attendant as she flashed a smile at him. He found himself smiling back at her and his attention turned completely away from the man in front of him. Arthur watched as he absently gestured like Browning would completely out of habit.

"What thing? Eames…Eames!" Arthur raised the tone of his voice, his teeth scraping together as he rolled his die between his fingers in his pants pocket.

"What? Oh right…no I…uh…everything going well back here?" he asked, looking past Arthur's shoulder towards Ariadne.

"You didn't come back here to just check on us, did you? I'm not a child…" Arthur trailed off, noticing the young women in uniform now surveying him instead of his British counterpart. They seemed to be eyeing his crisp demeanor and strong features that effortlessly combined to bring a new definition to business casual.

"Oh calm down, Arthur," he told him in an exasperated tone, shifting to stand straight. "She was a little flustered this morning and I just wanted to see how she was getting on," he replied, looking towards Ariadne again.

"We're fine," Arthur replied sharply, turning to walk back toward the row.

"Oi…" Eames started, gripping his forearm tightly, turning him back to face him. "Just…go easy on the rookie. It will be a hell of a lot easier for us to all do our jobs if you do," he finished quietly, releasing his grip. Arthur glared into the face of the taller man before nodding curtly and returning to Ariadne.

"It's like bloody primary school back here," Eames breathed out, running a hand through his hair before returning to his seat for another cocktail. He brushed his hand across Ariadne's as he passed her with a smile, making her cheeks tinge red with embarrassment. The now awake French man beside raised his eyebrows at the sight of her interaction with the British man. She gave him a look as if to say 'If only you knew…' before returning to sketching absently.

Arthur returned without any explanation of his talk with Eames and they remained silent for the rest of the trip, watching each other through peripheral vision and making sure their hands never brushed.


	6. Rise Up

**NOTE:** You all are lovely. Thanks for sticking with this story. A special shout out to UnderageThinking and noirgataki for their lovely comments and PMs :)

I'll take this time to take a little vote: **If I wrote another story with Eames as my focus, would you read it?** (Since you guys seem to be enjoying how I'm writing him).

Now to where we left off…

* * *

A limo was waiting outside the airport when they arrived, the mid-day light blinding the jetlagged quartet as they stepped outside. Eames pulled the door open, tipping his head at Ariadne with a wink as she climbed inside.

"Where exactly are we going again?" Yusuf asked as he helped himself to tonic water from the mini-bar.

"Saito has homes in every major city. About half an hour outside Sydney we will be completely under the radar of anyone who could be looking for us," Arthur responded quickly, switching on his phone and listening to his voicemail.

Ariadne eagerly looked out the window she sat nearest to, sliding down slightly in the comfortable leather couch that was the backseat of the spacious car. Eames watched her delight with a smirk.

"I've never been to Australia," she commented, her words floating out easily. Her head was pounding and she could feel the jet lag creeping over her inch by inch. It was only a matter of time before her body decided to give into sleep.

"Ah yes, the bastard child of England," Eames responded with a chuckle but sucked it back in after receiving a glare from Arthur. Oh, how he enjoyed Arthur keeping him on his toes.

After what seemed like eternity, they pulled up to a beach-side mansion with gorgeous landscaping. Ariadne caught herself gasping at the sight of the house before sliding out of the door opened by the driver. Saito sat on the front porch in the way a grandfather would sit waiting for his kids to come for a visit.

A short, middle-aged woman emerged from the house to take their bags inside and the four joined Saito inside. "How was your trip?" he asked them politely.

"Just fine," Eames spoke for them, eyeing the paintings on the wall of the living room. Saito was an extremely rich man.

"Where's Cobb?" Arthur asked in a semi-suspicious tone.

"Asleep. Maria can show you to your rooms," Saito responded simply for calling to the house keeper in a language foreign to Ariadne's ears.

The woman silently brought Ariadne to a spacious guest bedroom on the second floor of the house and drew the curtains for her. She exited with a nod of her head. Ariadne took one look at the queen-sized bed at the center of the room before removing her neck scarf and climbing under the plush covers. She easily fell into a deep slumber, burying her head in the mountain of pillows near the headboard.

…

Arthur sat in the armchair in the corner of Cobb's room. Watching. Waiting. Waiting for him to wake up. He was hooked up to the machine, the timer counting down till the zeros flashed brightly in the case. Cobb pulled his eyes opened slightly and nodded at his friend before jotting something down.

"I see everything went as planned," he told Arthur before spinning his top on the bedside table.

Arthur nodded, absently rotating the wedding band on his finger, only half listening as Cobb slid open the door to the balcony. He poured them each a glass of the amber liquid from a decanter that sparkled on a chest of drawers near the bathroom. Arthur accepted the glass and took a seat in one of the chairs as Cobb followed suit.

"Thank you," he told Cobb as he handed him the gold band, Cobb sliding the ring on his left finger into the groove that it had formed from years of wear.

"Do you love her?" Cobb asked bluntly, not taking his eyes off the rolling ocean. The sun was now beginning to set as a purple and pink haze bled out over the perfect blue sky.

"I don't know yet," Arthur responded, sipping from his short glass before shifting slightly in his seat.

"Could you?" he fired back, now turning his face towards the young man beside him. Arthur had always been stubborn, one you had to pry information out of. That is why he was so meticulous in his work.

"Yes," he replied simply, turning to meet Cobb's look. He saw his friend was now smiling, shaking his head slightly at his friend's response.

"I knew this was going to happen. I had thought it would have been Eames ," he spoke, a chuckle escaping on the tail of his words.

"Eames could seduce anything with a heartbeat," Arthur shot back in an irritated tone. He had never quite understood how Cobb could stand to work with the Brit. That's why Eames was so good. A person needed to be overly confident and conceited to be a Forger. And he was certainly those things.

"She is special," Cobb replied. He had been worried when he first saw what Ariadne could do. Her talent was phenomenal. She was so unique. He had also never worked with a team full of males and one female before. The dynamic always changed when the possibility of romance emerged.

Arthur didn't say anything. He didn't want to say anything. Frankly, he couldn't find the right words. He was never one to ask for advice. He certainly wasn't going to start now.

"What do you want me to tell you? That you are free to date her? That it's fine by me?" Cobb asked, downing the remains of his drink. He rose from his seat, checking his watch. "I'm not going to tell you any of those things. I've known you for years, Arthur. You've never needed me to tell you what to do before."

He was nearly back in the bedroom before he turned and added the same thing he had told Ariadne, "Just don't lose yourself."

Arthur let the words soak in as the sky grew darker and darker. Till Cobb's footsteps faded into the sound of the ocean. Till no pigment remained in the sky. He sat for hours. Days. Months. Watching the ocean's pull and release of the tide's methodical order.


	7. Within

**NOTE: **Um…so thanks to a freak tornado incident I haven't had power since Sunday and therefore have not been able to update. Or go online. At all. But now here's the note I had planned before this untimely event. Now, I have power and will be back on schedule for writing and posting this story.

I really don't know how to thank you guys for reading, reviewing, favorite-ing and signing up for this author/story alert business. Other than posting this update!

Thanks to Nikkipedia for your fantastically lengthy and in-depth reviews : ) And UT, I just lost the game.

A special shout out to The Septillionaire, my officially unofficial beta-reader. PEEP CALL!

Also, I apologize if the dialogue is not word for word from the movie…I tried very hard to re-create it and I hope that I at least half-succeeded.

* * *

The heavy rain pounded down on Ariadne as she stood on the street corner, searching the road for Cobb. As a dark vehicle pulled up, she yanked the door open, sliding inside the car that was carefully tailing the taxi in front of them.

"Look, I'm sorry about the other day. About what I said," she quickly blurted out to the man driving. She shivered and adjusted the air conditioner to point away from her. Whoever decided it should be raining during this point should be punched the moment they wake up.

He shook his head sharply. "Don't be. You were right—" was all he could get out before an unbearably loud noise ripped through the sound of the rain. The two whipped around in their seats to see a large train hurtling down the middle of the busy road. Cars smashed into each other, other drivers laying heavily on their horns.

A look of fear flashed in her eyes as Cobb sped up, avoiding the sudden out-of-place mode of transportation. She racked her brain trying to remember if she had planned out train tracks anywhere in the layout. Nothing.

"Where have you been?" yelled Arthur as Cobb and Ariadne finally pulled into the warehouse, slamming the garage door behind them. Yusuf was mixing chemicals at the long table with shaking hands and Arthur was bent over Saito's body, shoving a jacket under his head.

"We were avoiding the train!" Cobb responded in a hostile tone. He shook the rain from his jacket, shoving the gun hastily in the back of his pants.

"Why would you put a train crossing in the middle of a downtown intersection?" Arthur snapped at Ariadne. His eyes were cold, his sharp jaw line cutting through the air as he turned his face to look up at her.

"I didn't!" she shot back, holding her hands up in defense. She felt guilty, even though this wasn't her fault.

"What happened; is he dying?" he asked about Saito's condition who was now murmuring incoherently, eyes fluttering open and shut.

"He was shot," Arthur responded, pulling off his own coat and yanking his tie from his neck. He threw them behind him and Ariadne picked them up without a word, draping both over a metal chair.

"Those were not normal projections! They have been trained!" Cobb yelled at Arthur who was trying to stop the blood pouring from Saito's chest.

"How could they be trained?" Ariadne asked, her voice dripping with naivety and confusion. He explained to her that Fischer had had someone, an extractor; teach him how to fight off people who may try to attack him in his dreams. He had been prepared for this type of situation. This could easily end everything.

"This was your job! You should have seen this coming!" Cobb yelled, his voice loud and high, gesturing wildly as he closed the gap between himself and the now standing Arthur.

"It didn't show up in the research!" he spat back at his friend, their faces close, the tension in the room taut and laced with fear. Both men glared into the other's eyes, sharing an argument of a caliber they rarely experienced with each other.

The chaos around her was making Ariadne's head hurt. Her mind was already on overload being in the dream and now this. Everyone was yelling; attempting to place the blame on each other as Saito bled profusely on the concrete floor. She stood helpless, watching as Eames pulled his gun from his pocket.

"Well, let's just put him out of his misery then—" Eames calmly stated, pointing the handgun at Saito's writhing body before Cobb jumped at him, pushing him against the car.

Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion as Cobb explained that there was no way to escape the dream world safely at this point. If they got killed, they would be lost in limbo for an indefinite amount of time.

Arthur looked towards Ariadne for a brief moment and she felt her heartbeat speed up. He looked worried, showing a rare moment of weakness before turning back to Saito. Cobb must have known this all along. He hadn't told anyone what the real risks of this job were. Being lost forever. In your own mind. Something so unknown. So terrifyingly unknown.

"We just have to work as quickly as possible," Cobb finished, looking towards Ariadne who had a fixed look of worry on her face. She gulped loudly, trying to compose herself. "Take Saito upstairs," he ordered them. After a moment of hesitation Eames and Arthur lifted the body of their benefactor up the narrow staircase and laid him gently on a bare table.

Ariadne got the first aid kit from Yusuf and followed quickly, her wet shoes making tiny squeaking sounds on the stairs as she jogged up them.

They let Fischer sweat it out for at least an hour, according to plan, alone and tied up in the next room. Ariadne had designed the abandoned warehouse to be one of those places that you could get hepatitis from just looking at the table, chair or door. For inspiration, she had thought back to health class in high school where they watched countless documentaries about serial killers abducting young, attractive victims and dragging them back to scary buildings and houses.

"How's he doing?" Arthur asked quietly from behind her. Cobb and Eames were in the next room, preparing for the next step and hopefully cooling off. Yusuf had the van ready to go as soon as Eames, posing as Browning, had pried a number out of Fischer and convinced him that they were on the same side.

"He's in a lot of pain," Ariadne responded, dabbing Saito's forehead gently with a cloth. There were always accidents but they were not prepared for something like this.

Arthur leaned his back against the end of the table, rubbing his forehead. "I can't believe I didn't find anything about…there should have been something," he mumbled. He was in shock that he hadn't come across any information that would lead him to believe that Robert Fischer had had this sort of training.

Ariadne crossed to him, touching his arm lightly, "Maybe there wasn't anything to be found. That family is so rich. It would be easy for them to cover up," she tried, hoping to calm his nerves. She knew Arthur cared deep down. She knew he worried about these things. She had been there, in his dream. In his mind. She had felt what he had felt through the way he built and destroyed things around them.

"Arthur, it's time," Cobb called to him from the door to the next room. He silently left Ariadne's side and didn't return till they had finished 'torturing' Eames and thrown him in with Fischer.

"Did he believe it?" she asked quickly, ever the curious one even when the situation called for silence.

"Of course he did," Cobb responded quickly, before adding, "Take Saito to the van. It won't be long now." Arthur and Ariadne carried the older man back downstairs, loading him into the van and filling Yusuf in on what was going on upstairs.

Ariadne rolled her eyes as Eames made a kissing noise as he passed by her, pulling the bag off his head to reveal Browning's face. She tried to ignore him as he continued to try and silently get her attention. Even in a time of utmost seriousness he had the nerve to be an annoying little shit. He buckled himself into the van seat as Ariadne attached an IV to her arm. Cobb warned Yusuf on his driving before the chemist pushed the yellow button to send them into the second level of the dream. Arthur's dream.

Before she knew it she was feeling drowsy and her eyes drooped before shutting completely. Then the darkness came. Then the bright light. Then black stilettos.


	8. Disarm

**NOTE:** Thanks again (and million times more) for the continuous support of Footsteps. It is phenomenal to see such a reaction to a story I wrote on a whim. A story that I had hoped would give me a new way to think about and look at the film. Just two weeks since its publication and it has received over 14,000 hits.

Also, a tiny fun fact: all the chapter titles I've used are actual song titles. So if you would like to listen to what played while I wrote this story…be my guest. Before writing I just scroll through the same playlist till I land on a song that suits the mood of the chapter.

Today's special shout out is for **airtrafficstreams** who gave very helpful and thoughtful reviews to each chapter as they read along. Also, check out **Voldemort's Spawn**'s story _Fans?_ You will laugh. A lot.

PS: _Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien_ just played randomly in my iTunes. Edith was my favorite artist long before this film so I was naturally inclined to liking Chris Nolan's film at the sound of the first few chords of one of her best song's filtering through the theater.

* * *

Ariadne gasped. The cool air hurriedly filled her lungs as she woke in the second dream. She was standing in the elegant bathroom of the posh hotel she had designed for Arthur's portion of the job. What was not in her control was her appearance.

She took in the sight of herself in the large glassy wall over the seven marble sinks. Her hair was slicked back in a high, tight bun and her face was made up meticulously. She wore a tailored business suit hued in a crisp heather gray. The pencil skirt hugged her slim figure and as she stepped back she could see her full body in the mirror. Her pale legs towered on black pointed-toe stiletto pumps. The whole ensemble looked far too expensive; more than her grad student budged could ever possibly afford.

She exhaled, smoothed her skirt and headed towards the door, moving to the side as a striking blonde brushed past her. She could have sworn she had seen the stranger swipe her bright eyes up and down her shorter stature, ending the action with a wink.

Shaking her head she exited into the hallway and searched the hotel lobby for Arthur. They were to wait inconspicuously for a signal from Cobb to join him upstairs in the hotel room. That is when they would hook Robert and all but Arthur to the PASIV and take him the third level in.

The lobby was buzzing with activity. But there were no screaming children or annoying tourists as she had often encountered in her journeys throughout Europe. Business men browsed the daily paper, only breaking their gaze to sip coffee or liquor out of elegant glasses. Hushed voices discussed payment and booking at the main desk where the employees of the hotel looked neither happy nor distant. Fischer's projections were all clad in the classic Rat Pack style that instantly transformed anyone into walking perfection.

She heard footsteps approaching on the marble floor and thought about reaching for the gun in her inner jacket pocket. Moving a hand to the glossy buttons, she hesitated, feeling warm breath on her neck.

"Come sit with me in two minutes," came a hushed male voice, her heart racing as she recognized the smooth voice.

She watched as Arthur moved past her to sit on a couch in a lounge area near the staircase leading to the bar. He pulled a newspaper from the crook of his arm, eyes racing over the words. Ariadne pretended to receive a call on her cell phone, quickly formulating a situation where she was a legal assistant being scrutinized by her boss. She apologized into the phone before sliding it into her pocket, crossing the glassy floor and taking a seat next to Arthur.

He only flicked toward in her acknowledgement of her presence. He turned the newspaper page crisply, folding the stack in half to get a better look at a photograph in the bottom corner. She watched him out of the corner of her eye, trying to regulate her breathing as she folded her hands neatly in her lap.

This was the crucial part of the operation. Cobb had to not only convince Fischer that they were dreaming but also convince the heir that they were on his side. That they were projections of his own subconscious. But if anyone could do this, it was Cobb.

"There goes Mr. Charles," Arthur told her quietly. This snapped her out of her own mind and she noticed the newspaper had disappeared. His body was now angled ever so slightly toward her and she mirrored his body language. She followed his gaze as Cobb entered the lobby through the large glass doors bellow them and climbed the stairs, not acknowledging their presence as he passed them. He entered the bar swiftly and was soon out of sight. As soon as he had passed she took the opportunity to ask a question that had been burning in her mind.

"You seemed to object to the idea earlier when Cobb suggested it. Why?" she asked boldly.

"Using Mr. Charles requires us to tell the subject that they are dreaming. This can either help or hurt us. We're asking for trouble," he told her, barely moving his lips as he spoke. They needed to call as little attention to themselves as possible and having a loud conversation would be a key way.

"But what if…" she trailed off, suddenly noticing that everyone from the custodian wiping up a spilled coffee to the hotel manager conversing with a man at the desk was staring at them. Intently.

"What's happening?" Ariadne worried out loud, eyes darting to the faces all turned towards the couple desperately trying to blend in. She nervously smoothed her skirt before clasping her hands together tightly.

"His subconscious is looking for the dreamer. Me," Arthur told her calmly, never looking at her, only at the passing figures. Arthur racked his brain for options. If they ran, the projections would know something was going on. Their only real chance was that Cobb was getting somewhere with Fischer. And fast.

"Quick, give me a kiss," he told her, forcing her eyes to fall on his, a look of fear flashing in her own before confusion bled in.

She leaned her torso towards his, his lips quickly catching hers in a short, chaste kiss. He pulled back sharply as he resisted the smile tugging at his lips.

"They're still looking at us," she told him firmly, turning her face to look at a couple passing them on the stairs. The clipping sound of the short kiss echoed in her ear.

"Yea, it was worth a shot," he muttered, ignoring the look on her face when she turned back to face him. She knew her pale cheeks were red and could feel the sweat pooling at her neckline just above the high collar of her white silk shirt.

Before she could confront him further, Cobb and Fischer emerged from the bar. Arthur rose quickly, straightening his tie as soon as Cobb nodded toward them. Ariadne remained seated, giving Arthur distance before walking toward the other bank of elevators she had designed. She prided herself on this small detail. They were positioned at opposite ends of the spacious lobby but when ridden to the fifth floor (their destination) the cars would arrive right next to each other. Paradox.

Eames was leaning against the wall by the elevator, smirking at Arthur as he approached, pressing the round gold button with his index finger, folding his hands in front of him, straightening his back.

"Mixing business with pleasure?" he asked quickly, the words slipping off his tongue.

Instead of allowing his cheeks to burn red or his eyes to roll up and to the left, as Ariadne would have, Arthur merely glanced at the Brit, smirked and replied, "You mustn't be afraid to dream bigger, _darling_," he emphasized, mimicking Eames' statement to him in the previous dream level. The ding of the elevator car arriving the perfect punctuation on the end of his snarky remark.

"Twat," Eames muttered, checking his watch and heading to the bar. He needed a drink.


	9. The Ice is Getting Thinner

**NOTE:** Thanks again to everyone who has continued to follow this story on its journey. I really appreciate all the positive comments I've received and love reading everyone's own _Inception_ stories. I always click on the commenter's name and read some of their stuff because I like reading too!

This little one is short but I promise…the next chapter will make up for it :)

Now after much delay…

* * *

White. Endless white. Snow clouded her vision as she skied down the mountain side with ease (a skill that Ariadne never had managed to master in her real life) and whisked to a crisp halt by Cobb's side.

Her heart was pounding from both the sudden exercise and the fear that coursed through her veins. This was it. The final moment in which all their hard work paid off. Or didn't. Fischer had to see the right thing in there or all hope was lost. She didn't even know what would happen if they failed the mission. They had never spoken of it. How could they all go back to their lives after this?

Ariadne half-listened to the chatter over the freezing wind as she took in her surroundings. Everything was drenched in the white cover. Tree tops sparkled as they shook every so often in the wind, dumping powdery white down the mountain sides. They were in a flat clearing with an enormous rocky edifice rising behind them.

As she moved her gloved hands to adjust her cream hued hat she caught a snippet of the erupting argument. They were trying to decide how to divvy up the group. Saito was now volunteering to accompany Fischer and Ariadne and Cobb were to cover from afar. Eames was in charge of distracting the projections long enough for Fischer to get inside. A perfect job for the forger.

The next thing she knew she and Cobb were watching as, despite major complications, Saito and Fischer had managed to get inside the fortress. Cobb was positioned next to her, peering through the view of the gun, scanning through the strategically placed window, for threats.

"There's someone else in there," he muttered quickly to himself and Ariadne felt her body tense. His hand flew to the trigger, finger curling, ready to attack. The projections had found them. Fischer still hadn't opened the vault. They were screwed.

They watched helplessly as feet appeared, then legs, and finally an upper body clad identically to the rest of the team. Maybe it was just Eames. The slim arm raised a gun toward Fischer and that's when Ariadne saw her face. Mal.

"How is she here? How did she find them!" Ariadne shrieked suddenly to Cobb, watching his finger hesitate over the trigger.

"She's not real! Shoot her!" she continued, stepping toward him. All she had was a knife and even if she had a gun, there was no way she could even clip her from this far. This was the biggest risk of the mission. Mal entering the dreamspace and ruining everything. A risk that no one but her knew about.

This was the real pivotal moment. Everything up until now had been a test for Cobb. Could he keep Mal out? Could he force himself to remember that she was dead and that nothing could bring her back? Ariadne didn't understand how love could do this to someone. How it could cloud everything. Change everything. Alter meanings and skew perceptions. How could one person do this?

"COBB!" she tried a final time, watching in horror as Mal pulled and fatally shot Fischer, his body thudding to the ground. Saito was nowhere in sight as Cobb pulled the trigger a moment too late, Mal's body crashing to the ground lifelessly next to Fischer's.

The snow swirled around her and her eyes began to tear up from the gust of wind. What happened now? Fischer was dead. Saito was slowly slipping away due to his injury. Soon they would both be lost in limbo forever. A place where only Cobb knew the real dangers. How on Earth were they going to pull this off?

Moments later they were inside. Eames was crouched over Fischer's lifeless body. He and Cobb were murmuring to each other, trying to figure out how they were ever going to clean up this mess.

"We can still do this," Ariadne started quietly, contributing to the hushed conversation. She felt like the child interrupting a big discussion between the two parents. A discussion she shouldn't be involved in. Something too over her head.

Looking up at her, the parents glared but softened as the idea flooded over them. Her voice shook as she spoke, her eyes surveying the scene of the dead and the dying. The living just as hopeless. Cobb agreed and they prepared for the worst. The child took her father's hand and followed him into the darkness. Scared and unsure.

…

"He's fine!" she screamed over the loud sounds filling the house. Everything in limbo was falling. Crashing. Buildings were rising and tumbling like waves in a tumultuous ocean. Wind whipped past Ariadne and through the open front door, into the dining room where Mal thrust the chef knife through Cobb's abdomen.

"You're not good enough."

The words echoed in Ariadne's ears as she finally understood that Cobb was in control the whole time. He knew he had to face Mal. He knew he had to put his nightmares to rest. But he was strong. He knew the complexities of the human person could never be imagined by another. Their so called 'pure creation' only went so far as dreamers.

Accompanying the rugged sound was that of a bullet piercing Mal's skin. She managed to shoot Mal without even grazing Cobb's skin. Whether it had been the adrenaline or Arthur and Eames' combat talent rubbing off on her, she didn't quite know.

"What are you doing?" screamed Cobb at Ariadne, now hoisting Fischer's body with one hand and a gun with the other. He was coherent, but barely, when she had found him on the porch. Alone in this strange place. She couldn't even imagine.

"Improvising!" she replied before shoving Fischer off the porch. He fell fast into the endless depth, debris whipping around him. His eyes glimmered as he disappeared into the darkness below. The unknown.

"Go!" Cobb told her, explaining he had to find Saito. His mission was not complete. And without Saito all would be for nothing. Only he could bring Cobb back to his family. His reality. His true life.

She was standing there looking helpless. Lost. She was torn. Torn between reality and the dream. She didn't want to leave Cobb in the same way he couldn't leave Saito. To leave him would be cruel. A punishment.

"Bring Saito back. Don't lose yourself," Ariadne warned before throwing herself off the dangerous edge, clasping her eyes shut and waiting for the end of the fall. Waiting and falling.


End file.
